Singapore's Hilleman Laboratories to Manufacture WHO's 'Most Promising' Bundibugyo Vaccine Candidate

Hilleman Laboratories — a Singapore-based joint venture between Merck (MSD) and the Wellcome Trust — announced on 30 July 2026 it will manufacture clinical-trial doses of a single-dose recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) vaccine against Bundibugyo virus, developed by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and identified by WHO experts as the 'most promising' vaccine candidate for the strain. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is backing the effort with up to $8.5 million, and Merck will provide technical expertise drawn from its experience with the rVSV platform (the same platform underlying Ervebo). Unlike Ervebo, which requires ultra-cold storage, the new candidate is engineered to remain stable for months at standard refrigeration temperatures, easing distribution in remote outbreak zones. Hilleman said tens of thousands of clinical-trial doses could be available by the end of 2026, with technology transfer to larger manufacturers possible if demand grows. 'We're racing to develop a Bundibugyo vaccine and make doses for clinical trials,' said Hilleman Laboratories CEO Raman Rao. The announcement came as the DRC outbreak stood at roughly 3,360 confirmed cases and 1,487 deaths.